Suggestions to Students for PC Setup for Connection to USI Network

You will need:
    1) Ethernet Card
    2) Network Cable (5 foot or longer)
These are available at electronics stores and the USI Bookstore.    If you have a Macintosh computer - click HERE

1. The only protocol installed should be TCP/IP. 

Configure it to get an IP address automatically (DHCP).

2. Make sure the cable used to connect the PC to the wall jack is Category 5 Ethernet.  It has 8 wires, unlike phone wire, which is smaller and has 6 wires.

3. Make sure file and printer sharing is not installed.  File and print sharing can allow any students living in campus housing to access the entire hard drive of the PC on which it is installed. To remove file and print sharing,

How to Disable File & Print Sharing in Windows 9x

Step 1 - Right click on the Network Neighborhood Icon on your desktop.

Step 2 - Click on File and Print Sharing

Step 3 - Make sure BOTH Files and Printers are NOT selected.

How to Disable File & Print Sharing in Windows XP:

4. To check your internet connection, do one of the following:

a) Click on "Start".  Click "Run".  In the white box type "Command" then click "OK" .  You should get a black DOS window with flashing cursor.  At the flashing cursor type "PING www.yahoo.com", press Enter.  You should get 4 replies from the IP address of the yahoo server. 

If you get the message "Request timed out", then you do not have a connection to the Internet.  Proceed to b). If you get replies, but then still cannot use your browser (IE or Netscape), proceed to c).

b) Ensure that your Ethernet cable is firmly plugged in, at the wall and on the PC. Look for a light on the back of the PC's Ethernet adapter.  If you have a link light and a flashing activity light, the problem might be with the PCs configuration. Proceed to d) or e) as appropriate for your operating system. If there are no lights, call x1080 and report the problem to the Help Desk.

c) If Internet Explorer tries to dial to your ISP, cancel the dial window.  While running IE (5.0 or above), click on Tools, then click on Internet Options.  Go to the Connections tab, click the button saying "Never dial a connection".  Also while there, click on "LAN settings", and make sure none of the boxes are checked.  If they are, uncheck them.

If problems persist, proceed to d) or e) as appropriate for your operating system.

d) For Windows 95, 98 and Me click "Start", then "Run".  In the box, type WINIPCFG and click OK.  You will get a window with the title "TCP/IP Configuration".  Click on the button labeled "More Info".  In the white box in the middle, you should have your Ethernet Adapter listed.  If not, click on the down arrow to the right of it, and select your Ethernet Adapter from the list.  If you cannot find your Ethernet Adapter in that list, you must reinstall your Ethernet adapter drivers. If you experience difficulty at this point, call the Help Desk at x1080. They can assist you or give you information about where you can take your PC to have the Academic staff install your drivers and verify the operation of your Ethernet adapter.  Once your Ethernet adapter is selected, click on "Release", then click "Renew" and your IP address should change to "10.x.y.z".  This may take a few seconds, depending on the speed of your computer.  If you don't get an IP address, or if you get an address that does NOT start with 10, write down all the information displayed specifically, the DHCP server IP address and then call x1080. If problems continue after successfully completing this step, call x1080.

e) For Windows 2000 and XP: Click on "Start", then "Run".  In the box, type "CMD" and click on "OK".  You will get a black DOS window with a flashing cursor, type "IPCONFIG / ALL" and press the ENTER key.  It should display a list of all adapters installed and their associated IP addresses.  Look for the Ethernet Adapter information, and check to see that the IP address is specified is in the form of "10.x.y.z".  If you cannot find your Ethernet Adapter in that list, you must reinstall your Ethernet adapter drivers. If you experience difficulty at this point, call the Help Desk at x1080. They can assist you or give you information about where you can take your PC to have the Academic staff install your drivers and verify the operation of your Ethernet adapter.  At the flashing cursor, type "IPCONFIG /RELEASE" and press Enter.  You should get a message stating that IP Address was successfully released.  Then again at the flashing cursor, type "IPCONFIG /RENEW" and press Enter.  It should display your new IP address in the form of "10.x.y.z".  If you get a message stating "No operation can be performed on the local area connection..." then check your cable and make certain it is properly connected.  If problem remains, call x1080.

For Windows XP only: Click "Start", click on "Settings - Control Panel".  Then in the Control Panel window, find the Icon for "Network Connections".  Right mouse click on the icon for your LAN connection.  Click on "Properties", click on the "Authentication".  Make sure the check box for "Enable Network Access Control using IEEE 802.1X" is unchecked.  If it is checked, then uncheck it, and click on the "OK" button at the bottom of the window.

All devices used on Campus Housing Network must be registered. Click HERE for further information about person computer registration.

If you should have any questions regarding these services, please contact our Help Desk at (812) 465-1080 or contact us via email.